Museum of Kosovo Jewish History

Jewish Community in the history of Kosovo

Historical facts about Jewish community of Kosova for the first time are mentioned in 1442 as rights owners of silver manufacturers’. In 1498/99 in Novo Berdo lived six Jewish families, while in 1569/70, according to the ottoman tax documentation existed “CEMAAT JAHUDIAN” whose biggest number consisted families: NAVON, BAHAR, RUBEN, BARUCH, SALAMON, COHEN, LEVI, MANDIL, KONFORTI.  

The presence of the Jewish community in Kosova is dating back to the XV and XVI centuries with arrival of Jewish refugees fleeing from the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions. Jews became involved in trade between the various provinces in the Ottoman Empire, becoming especially important in the salt trade. The 1455 Ottoman cadastral census (of the Brankovic lands covering 80% of present-day Kosova) recorded also a Jewish dwelling in Vushtrri.

In 1910 in Kosova lived 3171 Jews (source: Italian Consul in Shkodra, M. Balldaci); In 1941 Kosovo was incorporated into the Italian-ruled area and the local Jewish population (whose total number was 551) was protected from the Nazi-led holocaust, this because the laws on racial basis were not implemented during the Italian occupation.  

Similar to other Jews in South-Eastern Europe, particularly in Greece, Albania and former Yugoslavia, Kosovo Jews belonged to the Sephardic community. They had left Spain in the fifteenth century and relocated throughout the Mediterranean. As with other peoples, the history of this community in Kosovo has been made and remade. But they have stayed in Kosovo. Besides the languages of the countries they came from, Jews in Kosovo learned Albanian, Turkish and Serbian.

Jews and Albanians in Kosovo have enjoyed coexisting since ancient times. Traces of this coexistence, which continued for centuries, can be seen in the relations between the two peoples over the centuries. Little is known about their presence in Kosovo since ancient times, when they came as part of the political, economic, and social system of the Roman Empire. During the medieval period, Kosovo saw an increasing population of Jews. The presence of the Jewish community in Kosovo was linked to the establishment of a significant mine in Novoberda, which became known in the region for extraction of precious metals.

The Jewish community in Kosovo included merchants, physicians, and craftsmen, and other active members of society who worked at other occupations. Living and working in many parts of Kosovo, they had their own synagogues, which survived the Ottoman period, but were demolished by the communist regime on 1963. They had their Yeshiva, their municipality, two cemeteries and their private properties. However, traces of this heritage can still be seen in the old ruins that survive to this day. In fact, Prishtina also once held the most famous Jewish bazaar in this region of the Balkans. Both these buildings were destroyed as part of the communist policy to destroy the historical memory of this community in Kosovo and beyond.

Unfortunately after the capitulation of Italy in 1943 and with the arrival of Germans, 258 Jews were deported to the Nazi concentration camp BERGEN- BELZEN (Germany), where 92 Jews from Kosovo were killed. Inside the ones we had family members who both perished and survived.

In 1948 with the establishment of the State of Israel, a considered number of Jewish community members migrated to Israel. Until 1999 in Kosova lived 329 Jews (source: Prishtina city archive), while currently the only Jewish community living in Kosova resides in Prizren and consist of 16 small families. 

Rescue and protection

Unfortunately during this history in the period of 1939 -1949, Kosovo was ruled by other states and didn’t have the possibility on access to the relevant acts of archives and these documents were not enlightened during this period of time. Should be recognized also that publicists nor historians in Kosovo have not contributed much to shed light on the life of Jews in Kosovo.

Albanian antagonist policies joined the Jewish cause, the monarchists, legalists, ballists and later communists were positioned in defense to the Jews. Kosovo Albanian elite and wide population was not delighted by Anti-Semitism. This coincides with the traditions and customs of which Albanian have never been bloodthirsty. Figuratively Europe was on fire during the World War II and Jews would have been burned out but Albanians being at the edge of Adriatic and Ionian Sea gave them the feeling of being safe. Albanian government didn’t oppose helping the Jews so Albanian people did everything they could for helping them. This is the story of Jews in the Albanian land during the World War II. 

According to confirmed sources published at the newspaper “ILLYRIA” by Salmir Lolja, with the theme “The rescue of Jews in Kosova” Mr.Halim Spahia and his brothers from Gjakova used their business premises to host Jews until they found safe houses in Albania. Arsllan Mustafa Rezniqi has built another house at his premises just to host Jewish families. His family has rescued 42 Jewish families. In 2008, he was given the title “Righteous Among the Nations” from Yad Vashem.

Mr. Arif Musa Aliçkaj and Mr. Preng Uli who used to work at the Prefecture of Prishtina, issued passports and other documents for the Jews of Ex-Yugoslavia, registering them as Bosnian. Mr.Hasan Rrem Xërxa from Gjakova provided transportation with his own vehicle for relocating Jewish from Skopje to Deqane and further to Albania.

In 1942 the Ministry of Interior of Albania ordered the Prefecture of Prizren to gather all Jews from Kosovo, who were soon after relocated to Albanian cities. Another example of Jewish rescued is a list of 256 families, all together 860 persons who were temporarily sheltered in Kosovo before relocated to Albania during the period of 1942-1943.

It is acknowledged from the Encyclopaedia “Pinkas haKehillot Yavan,Yad Vashem’’, where it is written that in Spring 1944 , Germans requested from Albanian authorities the list of Jews and permission in dealing with them. The Albanian authorities refused to hand over the requested list and stated that Jewish Community is an internal issue of Albania and no one else has the authority in dealing with them. Albanian saved Jewish where ever they had the jurisdiction.

Jewish Diaspora and Israel during the war in Kosovo

Another important circumstance that would give special weight to the relations between Kosovo and the Jewish Diaspora in Europe and the U.S., as well as the state of Israel, was presented during the 1998-99 Kosovo war. Sixty years had passed since the end of Holocaust, and trains expelling people from Pristina in 1999 reminded many in the Western world of the terrible persecution of Jews. Politicians, diplomats, and intellectuals of Jewish descent were among the first to advocate against the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.

A major contributor to the survival of Kosovo can be attributed to the Jewish community in the United States and Europe, and their commitment to humanitarian intervention to stop the Milosevic regime’s attempt at genocide. The Jewish community profoundly felt and understood the threat of physical extermination and mass deportation faced by the people of Kosovo. The well-known Israeli writer Amos Oz showed solidarity with the Western military intervention by saying: "The only positive aspect of the Kosovo tragedy is that genocide is no longer considered an internal problem of the country in which it takes place. This presents progress compared to 50 years ago, when most nations considered genocide an internal problem; protested but no intervention."

Not only the Jewish communities in the United States and Europe and prominent Jews but also the state of Israel also helped and supported the people of Kosovo. During the time of Ariel Sharon, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel on 11 April 1999 announced that Israel would support refugees from Kosovo with humanitarian assistance, fully support NATO and U.S. efforts to end the tragedy. Moreover, the Government of Israel emphasized that it would not accept acts of ethnic cleansing, which must end immediately.

Today’s Jewish Community of Kosovo

The commitment of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, which is expressed through the vision for the integration of all communities in the Kosovar society, which states: The Republic of Kosovo is an independent, sovereign, free and democratic state where the international standards will be implemented and respected human rights and all communities can live without fear, enjoy equal opportunities and follow the vision of building a common future.

Among the values ​​of Kosovar society, a small community is adding a significant value for the multicultural and multiconfessional environment of Kosovo. The Jewish Community of Kosovo is the smallest community, which is an inseparable part of all the social developments taking place in Kosovo and which is devotingly contributing to the building of a tolerant Kosovo society and advanced democracy, where all its citizens undoubtedly enjoy equal opportunities. In this lofty voyage, the Jewish community needs support from all Kosovo institutions and people of goodwill to jointly move towards building a common future for all. The Jewish communities in the region and especially in the countries of the former Yugoslavia, they revitalized their Jewish communities.

Under the leadership of Mr. Votim Demiri the Government of Kosovo, officially handed over to the Jewish Community of Kosovo a building which will be used as Museum of Kosovo Jewish Hsitory/Synagogue. The building is situated in the very center of the city and its aligned by all the other religious buildings that exists in the city of Prizren/Kosova.